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“Smart,” she said. “I think that’s half the reason people get married some days. You can go a lot further together than you can apart.”

Our first client came in, and while Rhonda got her settled in a chair, I offered to make her coffee. This time with a regular amount of cream.

Thankfully, the busyness of our day kept me from having time to think about Rhett, until I got a phone call a couple of hours in.

“Rhonda’s Salon, this is Maggie. How can I help you?” I asked.

“Maggie!” said a familiar voice. “I heard you were back in town. It’s Deidre, Rhett’s mom. I was wondering if you or Rhonda could squeeze me in for a cut and color today?”

I already knew I was the only one with an appointment open, but that would mean spending two hours in conversation with Rhett’s mom. Liv had been so friendly with me, but his mom? How would she feel about me?

Trying to keep a smile in my voice, I said, “Hi, Deidre. I actually have an opening an hour from now. Do you think you could make it, or should we look at another day?”

“An hour from now is great. You just saved me from shoveling the chicken coop with Jack, so thank you twice.”

I let out a breathy laugh. “See you soon.”

I hung up the phone, and after my current client was gone, I took a “bathroom” break, locking myself in the ladies’ and calling Rhett. He had to have some information to help me prepare myself for what kind of appointment this would be. Unfortunately, he didn’t answer. Shit.

I definitely couldn’t hide out in the bathroom forever, and like I said to Rhonda earlier, every penny counts.

So I held my head up high and walked back into the salon, taking my next client and trying to stop this worried feeling swirling in my stomach. Deidre took the appointment with me. She wouldn’t do that if she hated me.

But the nerves kicked up when I saw Diedre walking down the sidewalk to the salon. She had her hair clipped atop her head and wore sunglasses I’m pretty sure she’d worn fifteen years ago.

When she came in, Rhonda and her client greeted her, but then she lowered her glasses and said, “Magnolia Gibson, all grown up!” She smiled wide and walked to me with outstretched arms.

Shellshocked, I stepped into her hug, letting her embrace me.

Her perfume still smelled like the vanilla she used to wear, and her hug was warm as ever. It had been so long since my own mom hugged me that emotion rose in my chest at the feeling of a mother’s hug. This woman had been like a second mom when Rhett and I were together, and I realized that when I left this town, I’d left her too. I sniffed back tears.

Deidre pulled back. “Honey, are you crying?”

I wiped at my eyes. “I’m sorry. I just realized how much I missed you all these years.”

She smiled, letting out a soft laugh. “I missed you too. But I follow you on the gram. That’s what my students call it. You’ve made quite the life for yourself, Maggie Ray.”

Shock dried my tears. “You follow me online?”

She smiled. “Always have. You’re like another daughter to me, no matter how far you go.”

“You made my whole day, Deidre,” I said over the lump in my throat. “Now come sit in my chair. Let’s get your hair done.”

I set her up, pulling a cape around her, then went to mix the color she liked. When I came back, I said, “Catch me up. What’s changed in fifteen years?”

She smiled. “Oh, honey, you’d never guess.” She filled me in on her family, giving all the details that Rhett had left out. Like the fact that Tyler got fired from his job for getting oral sex on the clock. (Thank goodness Rhonda was in the restroom and finished with her client when that part came up.) Then married the girl who got him fired and that’s who ran the senior apartments in town with him. How Deidre knew all that and could say it without blushing, I had no idea.

Then she talked about Gage and his business, how he was doing more consulting with small business owners now to help them build their companies while Griffen Industries ran under a new CEO, who was apparently crushing it at her job.

Then she said she and Jack were redoing the kids’ bedrooms at the house, now that they had grandkids who stayed the night sometimes over the weekends and summers. They loved sharing Maya with Fletcher’s dad, Grayson.

“If only we could get Grayson set up with someone,” she said. “I know he loved his wife dearly, but a widower all by himself in the middle of the country? Sure sounds lonely to me.”

I smiled at Deidre, who wholeheartedly wanted everyone to have their happily ever after.

“And how about you, my dear?” she asked. “Is there someone special in your life?”

My cheeks flushed, because this was Rhett’s mom I was talking to. “Um...”